Fabrication and Applications of Ultra-smooth Composite Diamond Coated WC-Co Drawing Dies

Micro/nano-crystalline multilayered ultra-smooth diamond (USCD) films are deposited on the interior-hole surface of conventional WC-Co drawing dies with a combined process consisting of the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) method and polishing technique. Scanning electron microscopy (S EM), surface profilemeter, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are employed to provide a characterization of as-deposited USCD films. The results exhibit that as-deposited USCD films present an ultra-smooth surface, its surface roughness values (Ra) in the entry zone, drawing zone and bearing zone are measured as 25.7 nm, 23.3 nm and 25.5 nm respectively. Furthermore, the working lifetime and performance of as-fabricated USCD coated drawing dies are examined in producing copper tubes with hollow sinking, fixed plug and floating plug. The results show that the lifetime of USCD coated drawing is as more than 30 times as that of WC-Co drawing dies in the drawing process with hollow sinking, 7 times in the fixed plug drawing and 10 times in the floating drawing.